Rifted Redux
by Sapphy-Sweets
Summary: Omega's disappearance after Heroes forces Shadow to come to terms with himself- and her. Desperate for their friend, they form an alliance once again. They can destroy each other just as easily; trust is shaky and all bets are off. But their explosive chemistry isn't the worst of it. The two have darker times ahead and must work together if they want any hope of finding Omega.
1. Prologue

****Author's note**:

**This is a newer rendition of the original story, which was simply named Rifted. It's not a sequel, and not really related to the original plot-wise. There are portions of the story taken straight from the original, but it has all been revised. I'm leaving the original up for comparison purposes, enjoyment for the people who actually still like it, and evidence of my improvement. This is what I wanted Rifted to turn out like nearly three years ago- in a completely different direction than the first. Not only that, but I feel my writing has improved since then. I also went over the criticism Rifted received over the years and tried to give Rifted: DC what it was lacking according to that. **

**HARSH CRITICISM: I don't care about praise. There's nothing wrong with giving praise, but I take it lightly compared to advice on any ways I can improve. Don't worry about hurting my feelings; give it honest and brutal. **

**Yay! Irrelevant fight scene is gone! Fricking happy, Kelvin? XD (Kidding. I love this guy. I'm glad it's gone, too. 0_0)**

**Oh, and I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or anything affiliated with the franchise. This disclaimer accounts to all content of this story. **

**Cheers, fellow authors!**

**-Sapphy**

* * *

><p>Prologue<p>

In a midnight sky, stars hid behind outstretching clouds, rivaling the moonlight. There was stillness in the atmosphere that seemed unbreakable; the serenity of the untouched landscape lay apart from the city miles away. Scattered trees refracted light on the forest floor, making slivers of shadows along the grassy earth. An autumn breeze gently whooshed at the long, sturdy branches, which created a near silent whistle among the otherwise absolute silence. Clouds parting, the moon and stars became clearly visible and dominant of the universal canvas.

Walking upon the plains was a lone ebony hedgehog, a silhouette of black against night. Even the blood red streaks in his quills blended in. Shadow let the breeze whip at him gently, raising his eyes to the night skies admiringly. The galaxy he grew up surrounded by seemed so untouchable on this planet, just as his purpose was so out of reach on the ARK. Barely visible, miles away, and forgotten by the people of this world was the revolutionary space colony. He smiled, knowing it would all be nothing more than a distant memory now. He stood there in the swaying grass, recalling the events from months ago. He had been victorious against the tyrant Black Doom- at a price. Rubbing his bare wrists reminded him just how powerless he truly was now. It stung. What was once a formidable threat to an entire planet was now only a smoldering flame. In his vigorous onslaught against the alien overlord, he had removed his inhibitor rings in order to defeat him, unconcerned with the consequences at the time.

Now those consequences were strangling him.

He had come out to the wilderness to escape everything after running from the annoying human media that now worshipped him. After he destroyed the massive Black Comet with the legendary Eclipse Cannon, the humans immortalized him in their history books, despite the fact he wanted to murderously eliminate them not too long ago. The behavior was a perfect example of their narrow-minded thought processes, and a reminder of how pointless it would be to waste his time with them. Their persistent complimenting and overawe agitated the midnight-colored hedgehog to his limit. It came to the point where he decided to abandon them completely.

Lately, things had settled down from the Black Arms invasion. The humans no longer showed interest in capturing him for military purposes. It appeared that they thought more realistically about the situation (the chance of another planet catastrophe) and alternatively began to devise other lethal weapons.

He had been under the radar for quite some time, enough time he hoped for the humans to forget him. Day after day he simply wandered the wilderness, fearing to exert too much energy without the stability of his lost inhibitor rings.

In all the emotions stirring since the invasion, most important to him, he found closure. It had seemed definite to him that the world was against him, that everyone wanted to manipulate him or destroy evidence of his existence. According to a certain someone, however, none of that would ever matter as long as she was by his side.

He was a loner with no future to aspire to and no past to seek. In a cold world that the ebony hedgehog did not favor, there was one person he had subconsciously sought out after every episode of grimness, the one person who could ease the pain and loneliness he felt every day of his ageless life.

In the back of his mind, he knew what everyone saw it as. He assured them, rather assertively, that the alliance was completely platonic, strictly for business. He would always hear their unconvinced laughter. But maybe it was just his conscious, the doubt in his own mind, telling him different. Clearly, he had no interest in such a thing. But perhaps it was only clear to him as he pounded that belief into his own heart. Nonetheless, he had to come to a decision…

Come to a decision? Since when had he ever pondered the thought of visiting her? Normally he would just invite himself, leaving just as insolently. She never seemed to care, after all. Even if he disregarded that problem, things had changed, and instead of an anti-social loner no one minded, or even a fugitive running from the law, he was now a welcomed hero.

He had absolutely no interest in their paltry idolizations, nor would he feel obliged to encourage them by revealing himself after months of hiding. Then again, how could he allow himself to be indirectly controlled by their foolish behaviors? Eventually, this thought lodged in his ego, and his pride got the best of him.

He looked away from the night sky, a shimmer of gold in the corner of his peripheral vision. There, suspended on the dead branches of an oak tree he vaguely remembered from months ago, were two rings.

"Ironic that I should find them here."

He gingerly took them from their landing site, setting them back onto his wrists in their rightful place. The inhibitor rings shone brighter, rejuvenating their owner with familiar strength. With one last look at his past home in the stars, Shadow took off in a blur of black.


	2. An Old Friend

Over the years, he had slowly accustomed to Earth's various terrains. From the windows of the ARK, he had observed the mysterious planet with his dearest friend Maria. Earth had appeared so vastly complicated then. Now Shadow maneuvered through the twilight forest with ease, the trees diminishing until he neared suburban territory.

He picked up speed and found his way into the city of Night Babylon, a few-minute commute with his acceleration. Hardly anyone was out so late at night. The air smelled fresh of rain, the wet streets reflecting colorful arrays of light from the city. The chilly autumn breeze he experienced in the forest was captured by the buildings. The air became still, and accompanied with Shadow's natural quietness, the world seemed to be silenced. Normally, this part of town was awake with partying and blaring music at night, and Shadow thought it strange for the city to be so uneventful.

He breezed down the sidewalk, glancing at the city's bright advertising signs. He had never truly understood why his friend could live in such a place, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how opposite they were from each other. Shadow preferred solitude and a quiet place to think, while she thrived on public attention, especially from men. True, their friendship was strange. From the beginning, things were never simple between them. Once two lone individuals working for their own ambition, they were now close comrades, rivals at times, but despite it always covering each others' sixes. The city's silence kept him alert, and he couldn't help but feel someone was following him.

His natural paranoia, it seemed, would never die off.

_This was unwise,_ he thought to himself.

The military wasn't exactly fond of him, and had occasionally attacked him simply out of their fear of his power. He knew there were GUN informers positioned in most big cities where crime was most likely to occur. Night Babylon, with its prominent gambling, was no exception. He had been in hiding from society for months; standing out on the streets paved by mankind's hands was nothing less than mercilessly ironic.

However, he would not go against his decision. This was the best and only choice.

The hedgehog continued on.

Tapping into his memory of the place, the stroll did not take him long, and before he knew it he was standing in front of Club Rouge, the residence of his companion. It was late at night, but he knew her well enough to know she most likely would be awake. He thought of simply breaking in silently as he normally did, but something compelled him to knock.

_Another strange action,_ he scolded to himself.

Time began to tick away, with Shadow growing impatient, being his normal indignant self. Without any second thoughts, he positioned himself on her roof, a place he usually went with thoughts on his mind, or an urge to be alone. The nocturnal view of Night Babylon was still the same as always- just the way he preferred it to be. He remembered how calm his life was when he resided here, then realized what always made him leave. His conflicting emotion would have to be put to the side for now; he had already traveled this far into human society.

Below on ground level, he heard an unsure voice muffled on the other side of the door, finally responding.

"Who is it...? I'm closed for the night..."

"Just an old friend is all," he called down from the roof.

The ebony hedgehog couldn't help but smile at hearing her voice again. Upon finishing his sentence, the door swung open. Shadow unceremoniously jumped off the roof, landing right before the ivory bat. If she was scared out of her mind that a stranger had just landed out of nowhere in front of her, he wouldn't have known. He hardly had the chance to look upon her, for he was nearly knocked off his feet by her welcoming hug.

The fluttering motion in her heart ceased when sudden anger began to surface. She had heard so much from the media since the destruction of the Black Comet: Shadow possibly having a renewed hatred for mankind, him being so distant due another scandalous alliance with Eggman, scurrilous beliefs of him being responsible for a variety of crimes.

Seeing Shadow, her first instinct was that he had run into trouble, and needed her assistance. For the most part, after all, he was all business, and wasn't like him to show up for visits for the heck of it. Whatever the reason, he felt he had to do things on his own. Rarely did he ask for assistance; it was even rarer he thanked someone for it. Occasionally, she wondered why he acquainted himself with her. The possibility of being used stung at the back of her thoughts, although there was always a stronger emotion to suppress that. Here he was now, after months of communicational lacking, at her doorstep.

Rouge the Bat's brief anger subsided. The rarest smile of sentimentality came to her face. It was like a recap of their past of singularity, an odd friendship molded straight from each other's trickery. Shadow, sheltered from the conventionality and culture of this world, terrified of social interaction, had somehow befriended the seductive government agent, who loved to tease and provoke him, secretly wanting nothing more than a person to trust her. She tightened her grasp on the hedgehog and gave in to her pride.

"Shadow you dumbass..." she said in a relieved tone, inconsistent to her insult.

"Enough of this," he said to his comrade, trying to sound serious, but a smirk accompanied the response.


	3. Decayed Independence

Deep in her wandering thoughts, she had hardly noticed Shadow in the doorway of the room. Even in broad daylight, he always found nonexistent shadows to lurk from. Rouge had been sitting on her couch, trying to sort her emotions. It seemed strange to admit her relief at his presence, but she let it come; she hadn't felt relief in a long time.

To any other person, she would have warmly welcomed with her sultry and smooth hello. Shadow, however, required more consideration. She constantly found herself regulating her approaches around her introverted partner. Formulating a greeting in her mind that would appeal to him, she balanced her ridiculously mixed emotions.

Shadow was one of the most important people in her life, yet, did their relationship truly have any substance?

From the corner of her vision, she glanced at Shadow. Her friend had been staying for two days now. Of course, it wasn't as if those two days had been filled with much activity. Shadow spent most of the time brooding on the roof, staring mindlessly into space. He wasn't one for conversation; nonetheless, she enjoyed his company, grimly knowing she would wake up one morning to find him gone for another long period of time. The ivory bat turned her head to look out the window. It was now close to noon, and the sky was still a dull gray, which didn't help lighten the mood.

"Rouge."

She shot out of contemplation, looking back at him. It was surprising for him to start discussion. "What?"

"...How long has it been since the invasion?"

"Six months," she answered simply.

"H-Have... have..." Shadow averted his eyes and quieted at his stuttering. It was rare for him to have trouble speaking his mind; Shadow hardly talked, but when he did, he was always so well-spoken.

"Shadow...?" She inquired at his unfinished statement.

He fermented on his thoughts for a while before speaking again.

"Have you seen Omega?" Each individual word was enunciated slowly and with a subtle shaking in his voice. Still, his voice remained for the most part composed; he was skillful at keeping a poker face. "I haven't seen him since before the Black Arms attack. He wasn't around in the aftermath with you, either." he added.

The bat's eyes widened with this information relapse.

"He... wasn't..."

Suddenly, she was filled with concern, not relief. Omega, despite lacking fur and a beating heart, had always seemed as real a person as anyone else to both Shadow and her.

He didn't respond to her. He already had all the information he needed. Rouge understood with his silence that the subject was dropped.

The atmosphere had diverted from curiosity. Now it was filled with anxiety and uncertainty.

His question compelled her to voice one of the many she had.

"Where did you go?" she asked painfully.

His crimson red eyes met the floor, looking for something to say. He knew his answer, and he knew her next question would be why. He could logically compose a fabricated lie just as easily as he could tell the truth, but with Rouge, nothing could ever be logical in his mind. His thoughts went blank, and he found himself with no response. Her turquoise eyes intruded his solitude, demanding an answer.

"The attention from the humans made me wary," Shadow answered somewhat evasively. "I was simply under hiatus." When this answer did not change the look of discontentment on her face, he twitched his ear nervously.

"I don't see importance in this, Rouge."

"I didn't know where you were for half a year. No communication. To top it off, tabloids, news reports, interviews from the Commander of GUN and all kinds of government officials left and right saying you were dead. How was I supposed to feel?"

"I'm overtly not. So there's no issue." Aggravation began to arise in both of their voices.

"You could have contacted me. You could have let me known you were... safe."

"I would have contacted you if it was needed." Shadow added bluntly. "I can handle myself. I'm not a child. All this worry is pointless."

Slightly hurt by this comment, Rouge returned her glance outside the window to the colorless sky.

"Well you're here now. Something must have happened, must have really hit you hard, or I guess you wouldn't bother." Her tone turned into a near whisper.

"If you really need me, if that's why you came back, I'm here."

Shadow, though usually self-centered in his motives, was not heartless. He had tried to elude this kind of outcome for her sake, but the challenge of his independence, something he had not fully allowed himself to confront, was enough to disregard this. He was, long story short, embarrassed at his own inability.

His words were as dry as the autumn leaves outside.

"The only reason I came back is because I had nothing else to go back to. If you value my presence so much, you should be grateful I showed up for the amount of time I did."

A heavy descent in her chest choked her response. She couldn't bring herself to see the annoyance in his eyes. Instead, she remained fixated in the grey of the clouds.

Silence hung about the room.

Without word, Shadow exited soundlessly. She could read his eyes and see his pride was hurt, admitting to himself he couldn't stand to wander alone. Her first instinct was that he was leaving, but somehow concluded this untrue. Even if Shadow really was departing, she was frozen in disbelief from his lament.

* * *

><p>There were no trees in Night Babylon aside from the dead and wimpish saplings planted along the medians and walkways. Despite this, leaves blew about, some resting in the rooftop gutter before Shadow. He inspected them, fascinated, realizing he had never really observed how they changed when the autumn season drew near. Such small details in the vastness of this planet. He would have never taken the time to notice it in his usual mindfulness.<p>

Another odd behavior. It was almost as if he was growing fond of this planet. It seemed the Black Arms ordeal had softened him. Or perhaps it was the atmosphere he found himself in whenever he took his residence here, when he didn't have to think about anything at all. The military, the Black Arms, Emerl and the Professor, even Maria. When his past was as disconnected from him as the leaves were from their wooden vestiges... that's when he began to feel these strange things.

The real question was whether to accept these new feelings or not. He could just as easily shut them down and escape into solitude once again.

What would happen if he let them come?

He hadn't realized his gaze had been focused so intently on the setting sun. The grip on the brightly colored leaf loosened, and it fell to the persuasion of the wind.

He watched it float away.

Shadow had accomplished clearing his mind of all but one thing: Omega. His robotic comrade was last seen after the defeat of Metal Sonic, wandering away into the unknown with the deactivated menace in tow. The black hedgehog wondered what Omega's motives were now that Rouge and he had left him to his own devices.

He considered running off to resume his searches once more, but eerily understood how destructive of a decision that was. So strange, now his actions were not so simple anymore. Consequences had come like phantoms, consequences that involved other people.

Much as he detested to let her seep into his thoughts again, she came.

As if from a magnetic force, he was drawn to Night Babylon. A dormant sense told him what he needed was here. He had reunited with one of his teammates; now they both longed for the last of the triad. It was nothing more than the necessary coherence of the team. And it would remain simply that.


	4. Things to Change

She looked at it with amazement.

Dr. Eggman's glorious airship fleet was now a graveyard of fire and ash. Every step resulted in crunching debris under her boots. Her surroundings looked gruesome and apocalyptic, not something to celebrate over. Strolling alongside the destruction made her feel less of a hero and no different than the demented doctor himself, despite the restoration that would follow. The heroes embraced and hollered with seemingly no care of the aftermath. In their minds, the damage was necessary for peace to return to the land. She wondered how the doctor felt about his own destructive tendencies; did he see them as beneficial to mankind in the end, just as they? After all, he had always idolized his philanthropist of a grandfather. Maybe. She didn't bother to dwell on the complex idea.

The strange-scented medley of smoke and fresh rain hung about the site. Chunks of metal and sparking wires lay smoldering- the remains of once magnificent fortresses of the Eggman Empire. At the foot of these graves, Sonic and his mesh of allies rejoiced over the defeat of the Metal Sonic, who remained sprawled on the ground, presumably to them, deactivated for good.

Its vibrant blue metal shone brightly in the surfacing sun. Droplets of rain delicately coated its exoskeleton in an oddly aesthetic manner. Its eyes were now an endless void of black. To the observing Rouge the Bat, this gave a chilling anxiety rather than ease.

"How is he?" she asked.

A massive presence beside her, E-123 Omega, answered.

"Analyzing: system offline. Subsequently no longer a threat."

The bat twitched her ears nervously, viewing the quieted blue robot with skepticism. "How do we know he won't just pop up and slice our heads off?"

"Processing: Internal batteries disabled. It is not possible for Metal Sonic to come online without outside facilitation."

"Good enough of an answer for me," Rouge sighed.

The black hedgehog next to her smirked; his eyes were unusually welcoming to her. He laughed, an odd sound coming from Shadow. It was brief, but it showed her a rare quality- his charming humor.

"It's unlike you to be so high-spirited," Rouge joshed. "What's got you in a good mood?"

"Don't get used to it," he rebutted with a smile. "I'm just amused at how quickly your demeanor changes." With this he coughed and paused unsurely.

"You... really were an impressive leader out there," he added, referring to the exhausting skirmish with Metal Overlord.

Compliments were scarce from Shadow, and despite her upheld disinterest in others' opinions, she found a warm blush rising.

"Thanks."

Out of ways to continue the conversation, her eyes wandered off to the scene of Sonic and his peppy friends, the red echidna in particular.

She grinned at seeing his gullible face. All it took was riling him up to have the upper hand. His fists usually won over his brains.

And brains was something she definitely had.

She imagined the lush island he resided on, levitating by the Master Emerald's mysterious power. She visualized the thick jungles, the ancient ruins filled with intricate carvings, dazzling gems, and untold riches... and the ultimate prize: the rare and powerful artifact which kept it afloat. It sent a delicious chill through her- the thrill of mystery and adventure was an unsurpassable natural high. Though she didn't know the exact coordinates of the mystic island, she knew Knuckles would lead her right to it with a little bit of creative thinking.

It had been too long since she had embarked on a solo treasure quest. The desire to selfishly indulge herself was too strong. Since she began managing this team, every decision was aimed towards the general benefit of everyone. She couldn't tie herself to these teammates any longer. The life she had always lived wouldn't exist with that dependency, and she wouldn't cope with it either. Something had to give, but as usual, she chose to grind against the grain.

She would leave. That she was certain of.

"Well boys, I've drowned in this 'team' business for long enough. I think it's time I flew solo for a while," she announced.

Shadow stared her down. "So our adventure comes to an end. After all this time..."

"Well sure, Sunshine. Wouldn't you say we've all accomplished what we intended with this alliance?"

"Have we?" His eyes locked hers to his steely glare.

How could he suddenly make all of this so complicated?

She looked to Shadow, then to Omega. They were both focused on her.

"Requesting detailed explanation of your decision," Omega spoke.

Rouge fluttered up to Omega's height, leaning into his face with hands on her hips. "Because I said I was gonna."

Omega's tiny red eyes zoomed back and forth, confused at this logic. "OK."

Shadow crossed his arms. "Rouge."

"What?"

"Whatever problems you have with me- or with yourself- it's wise to address them now."

The huntress folded her wings and sighed. "Look here Shadow, I'm going because it's what I do. I _do_ what I want. I _get_ what I want. Then I leave. We've all had our family fun days together, but it's over now. Time to move on. Isn't that what people do in life? They move on."

He gently shook his head. "There's just no changing your mind once it's set, is there? Rouge... never stop using your head, that's one of the most formidable things about you. I don't need to say anything else."

She paused, unable to reply for a moment. "Don't tell me what to do, Stripes. I'm my own woman- it's my choice and it ain't got a thing to do with you guys, so don't worry on and on about it." she huffed.

Her intended coldness wasn't successful in fazing him. "Farewell, ally."

_Ally_.

The word echoed in her head. What did it mean to her? In order to figure that, she pondered what it meant to Shadow.

It meant there was something more than alliance here. A dangerous emotion. She studied Shadow's crimson irises and Omega's dotted ones. Even the robot's stare held conviction. It was impossible to the rest of the logical world, sure, but to her Omega's tiny dot eyes held sadness.

"Bye Shads," She nodded at him. He was silent and motionless. "Omega, you too."

She gave them her signature two-finger salute.

"Goodbye Rouge. Do not become eviscerated on your travels. Your nitrogen-compounds are least enjoyable when assimilated into the atmosphere."

"Uh."

"You are one of the more intelligent meatbags. Probabilities of this are low."

"Thanks big guy."

She turned away from the two faces she had been so familiar with for the past year and refused to look back. Another personal victory. She awaited the relief of ditching the responsibility of the two boys. It never came.

She was embarrassed at her thoughts.

"Shadow, I do not understand her motives," spoke Omega.

Shadow never averted his eyes from her disappearing figure, which was now being pursued by the red echidna. The rest of Sonic's friends laughed heartily at his squabbling.

"I don't think she understands them, either. I think it scares her too much to think about it."

Once Rouge had completely disappeared, Shadow allowed himself to redirect his attention. He was surprised at how nervous he was, nervous and unsure of the future. In the most simplified explanation possible, he felt... empty. There were still many things he needed to do- and know. He had intended to rely on Rouge for some of those answers. Now it was clear this mission was best accomplished on his own. How often could you rely on the sliver of goodness in others?

"Omega?"

The massive robot had picked up the deactivated Metal Sonic, gingerly supporting it as a parent would. It was an odd sight coming from a walking arsenal.

"Metal Sonic: a creation of Eggman. He is my brother. Therefore he is my enemy."

Shadow observed the blue robot, small in comparison to Omega's bulkiness. It was nearly swallowed in his massive claws.

"Observation: Metal Sonic possesses information I have not yet obtained. This was confirmed in our previous battle. As the superior of the E-100 series and all of my creator's inventions, this is unacceptable."

"What do you intend to do with him, Omega?" Shadow raised his brow.

"I will find an external power source to reboot his system, then directly download his information into my mainframe. He may hold the key to the destruction of Eggman and the rest of my brethren. Afterwords, I will obliterate him."

"I see..." Shadow pondered, realizing that Omega's plans contradicted his. "I won't be going with you then. I have other things to... attend to."

"Agreed. Your accompaniment is unnecessary for this mission. I will destroy Dr. Eggman on my own, without the assistance of others. I am E-123 Omega, the ultimate machine!"

He smiled at this. "Safe travels, my friend."

"As you organic forms say, 'ditto'. Goodbye, Shadow."

With that, Omega wandered off, Metal Sonic in tow. Shadow started walking too, though he didn't know where. It was official: Team Dark had separated, whether temporarily or permanently he was not sure. This distance- this _rift_ between them- had showed him how weak he truly was. He had relied on others to no avail. It seemed to him now real strength was possessed only in oneself. Maybe answers were out there. Maybe with those answers he would become stronger.

Walking alone and confused, it was a comforting thought.


End file.
